An American Woman Looks at Life in General and her Own in Particular

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The Other Side of the Door

“How did you get that?” I asked my husband, placing my fingertip on a nasty looking bruise on his chest.

“I’m not sure,” he replied, giving me a meaningful smirk, “but I think I might have run into a cupboard door- you know, one that somebody left open.”

It’s one of those standing jokes in our house, my problem with closing things. Doors, drawers, bottle tops – I admit it, I have a very bad habit of leaving them ajar. We all started talking about it the other night when my daughter in law mentioned how careful my son always was to close things gently and tightly.

Closing doors tightly behind you…it eliminates too many options, doesn’t it? After all, if I close up and lock the back door every time the dogs go in or out, I’d be doing that all day. If I close every cupboard after I get something out of it, why, I’ll just be opening it again in a few seconds to get something else. Why make re-entry so difficult?

But contrary to long standing habit, I just closed a door – a symbolic one, but a large and ponderous one nevertheless.

Yes, I did it today. All my quitting is done. I’ve told everyone who needs to be told, I’ve explained simply and with love and honesty my reasons for needing to move on. I stood firm amidst the expected dismay and sadness and attempts to change my mind.

And I must tell you, I feel only relief, a sense of lightness and freedom such as I haven’t felt in a long time.

As well as a sense of excitement, because you know what they say about doors…

Becca, you know how much I love your attitude about life and the way you can bring everything together with words. I’m all about necessary closure and I am VERY much a proponent of the “when one door closes” theory.

Bless you for having made those difficult calls and closed those doors. Life is an open field and that lightness you feel is your wings!!

As for leaving things “open” — that was my mother to a “t” — can I tell you the number of times we’d hit our heads on open cupboard doors?!? Thing is — you’d have thought we’d have realized and started “looking”!!! ;)

And I think it’s wonderful that you followed through on your intent to lighten your load. What a relief…and a confidence builder too! Once you’ve said ‘no’ and experienced the accompanying sense of freedom, I’m sure that it will pave the way for a new measuring stick that allows you to say ‘yes’ to only those things that truly make your heart sing (and to be able to say ‘no’ when they, too, have reached their natural conclusion).

Now, to explore like you were on Let’s Make a Deal. Try what’s behind door #1 and then trade for what’s behind door #3 if you like. :)